Zach Molzer joins Kristian live from CREi Summit to break down how building in public on social media helped him transition from a post-college role with an owner-operator in Tulsa to launching his own development firm and taking on projects as large as a 16-story historic redevelopment in downtown Kansas City. Zach shares how documenting the journey—not selling courses—led to real deal flow, investor trust, and a pipeline filled with opportunities brought to him by the very people watching online. From assembling a team that lenders believe in to sourcing capital from “lurkers” who never like or comment, Zach’s story is a blueprint for developers who want to leverage the internet to find deals, fund deals, and build a brand that compounds into tangible opportunities in commercial real estate.
🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7qaAMYu98U4vfBlVmFlZXO
▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITUHR8oyW0M
Key Takeaways From The Episode
- Start where you can learn everything – Zach’s first role with an owner-operator developer threw him into acquisitions, capital stacks, GC, and property management so he could see the full deal lifecycle.
- Development is a team sport – Capital backs people who can assemble the right team; no one is handing a 23-year-old millions to “figure it out” alone.
- Patience beats speed in CRE – Great projects often take 10+ months from first conversation to closing; time kills deals, but the right patience and persistence also makes them.
- Content > courses for credibility – By openly documenting projects, problems, and progress, Zach attracts serious deal flow and investors without selling a course.
- Lurkers are your future investors – The quiet followers on X/Twitter and Instagram are often the ones who later DM with capital, opportunities, or key relationships.
- Use social to find deals, fund deals, and fun partners – In commercial real estate, social media isn’t about fame; it’s about building a brand that attracts opportunities and people you actually want to work with.
